Festival of Light
by stagetrinity
Summary: It's the annual festival held to wrap up the year and ask the goddess for blessings as the new year arrives. Zelda has been out of sorts lately with nightmares and voices, but that doesn't stop he friend from trying to help her night be special. ZelLink


A useless little dribble, Set before Skyward Sword. It was a random idea that I thought might be cute. Enjoy =)

I don't own them at all.

Also, excuse my typos :/ a/n..I went back to catch them XD some were so off the wall..where was my mind?

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><p>She sighed as she looked over the edge, seeing the clouds churn below. It was windy weather, which meant a storm was beginning in the place she couldn't see. She knew it was only a legend, but she could feel something within her that said if she could just get through those clouds, she'd find what she'd been searching for. Her blonde locks fluttered like streamers in the breeze that had picking up over Skyloft in the past of couple of hours. The paper lanterns that littered the paths of the island made a rustling noise akin to fallen leaves as they struggled with the decision whether to keep themselves tethered of let themselves go to ride the breeze like the birds they were painted like.<p>

With a sigh, the girl pushed herself back from the wall she had been leaning on, turning to watch as the lantern keeper began to start his rounds. Twilight was just beginning to set in, and tonight would be one of the few special ones that broke the monotony she'd grown accustomed to. Near the end of the year, a festival was held to honor the goddess and ask for her blessing in the year to come. They celebrated her gracious blessings of the year they were leaving with a great feasts, dancing, and the traditional releasing of the prayer lanterns. Each lantern hung on the island was painted to represent all the different loftwings that shared their spirits with the people of Skyloft. Each person spent days, even weeks, making their lantern perfect for hanging on the paths to light the night. When Midnight struck and the new year began, they would take their respective lantern and release it on the night air, watching them rise and dance into the eternity. Her lantern, well, she couldn't say it was something she was proud of this year. She had always loved making her lantern, but this year she just couldn't focus. She'd been having nightmares, so to speak, as of late. Time she usually dedicated to her lantern work was now spent trying to catch enough sleep so no one would notice her bags and drooping form.

"What're you doing up here all alone?"

She turned, giving a small smile as Horwell titled his head, responding in kind. "Just thinking, that's all," she replied softly.

"Well you don't want to miss the festivities. You know that as soon as all the lanterns are lit and the song of blessing is played, the feast begins. And if I'm not mistaken, aren't you playing the song this year?" He gave her a look as if to tell her to run along.

Zelda nodded, giving a small bow. "Yes sir, I am. I was just coming back to the academy to get my harp when I got sidetracked."

"Well, lets get back on track so you're not late," he said with a laugh before continuing on his way down the path.

She sighed, jogging to her room and fetching her harp from it's place on her pillow. She gave it a few plucks to make sure it was holdings its tune before slipping out of her room. "Oh!" she yelped, colliding with a body in front of her. She stepped back, the apologies already rushing from her mouth as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't think-oh! It's you, Link," she said, her sentence ending with a laugh. "I should've know you'd be one of the last ones to show up at the festival."

The boy shook his head, his shaggy hair bobbing. "No, I was actually almost out the door and would have beaten you, it seems," he teased. "But I heard your harp, and came to see what you were still doing here. Is something wrong?" he inquired, his brows furrowing in concern. "I've rarely seen you these past few weeks."

"I'm fine," the girl said, clasping her hands in front of her, still holding her harp. "I just forgot my harp, and I have to play the blessing song. I've just been practicing." She hated not being completely honest with him, she had always told him everything. She couldn't bring herself to just give him cause to worry on the night of the festivities. She knew how he was. He'd hear nightmare and spend the entire night trying to dissect them and constantly asking if she was okay, if she was tired, did she want to sit down. She was glad he was so concerned for her, but her concern for him made her want to keep him as happy as possible whenever she could.

"If you say so," the boy said slowly, looking her in the eyes, searching.

She met his gaze for a moment, feeling an unfamiliar tension starting to build. She broke the gaze, looking down at the floor. "We should head toward the statue. I don't want to arrive after the lantern keeper. That would be embarrassing."

Link nodded, and the two made their way in silence out of the building and up the steps of the statue. The stairs were already packed with citizens, dressed for the occasion and chatting excitedly.

"Excuse me, excuse me!" she kept saying in a string, and she could hear Link doing the same. She looked over her shoulder, not able to contain her smile as she watched him flounder through the people, his head thrown back and his arms held close to him, trying not to touch of jostle anyone. He looked like he was trying to swim in murky water. She reached back, grabbing his hand. His eyes widened, and he let out a mix between a grunt and a gasp as she gave him a tug, forcing the people around them to split as she drug the poor boy along.

"For reference," he said, rubbing his arm after they had cleared the crowd, "I'm sort of fond of my arms and I'd much prefer to keep them in their sockets."

"Don't be a baby," she teased, giving him a playful push in the stomach.

"I'm not a baby," he said, rolling his eyes. A smile broke out on his face as she looked down at her.

"Zelda!"

"Father!" she replied, waving at the man at the base of the statue.

"I thought you were lost," he replied as Zelda and Link made their way over, peering down the stairs at the massive crowd and the lanterns twinkling around them. She had to admit, it all looked beautiful, and a small feeling of warmth spread through her as she looked around. She looked over at Link next to her, and she found him smiling as well, the light from the nearby lanterns reflecting from his hair and eyes. He had dressed in a simple pair of black breeches and a dark blue tunic styled shirt. She knew his least favorite thing was clothes and he'd attempted to pick the best thing from his supply. He actually looked very nice, and she found herself flushing at the thought.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"The lanterns," he explained, looking down at her.

"Oh, yeah," she replied. She looked down, smoothing the fabric of her white dress to give her a reason to look away.

"Welcome!" she heard her father begin the speech, and she took her place in front of the statue, her harp poised. After a few minutes, she heard her father address her. "And now, Zelda will play the song of the Blessing, and the festival will officially begin." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she lifted her harp, letting her fingers make the notes that were automatic to her after practice. The song had few words, but she sang them beautifully, swaying as the melody enveloped her in peace. When she played this song, something in her resounded with a great pleasure and peace. It was a rare feeling, but tonight she felt it tenfold. Like she had a special connection with this piece. She opened her eyes as she finished, hearing the cheers envelope her in warm appreciation. She flushed, laughing as she waved to the people on the stairs.

"Now, let the feast begin!"

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><p>The crowd had relocated themselves to the tables set up near the waterfall. The food smelled delicious, and she couldn't decide where she wanted to begin. From beside her, Link seemed to be experiencing the same decision making problem.<p>

"Zelda!"

"Groose," she heard Link say in a low voice from beside her. She turned her heard to the see the aggravating being waving at her from a table not far away.

"Hello!" she said politely, but she didn't attempt to make more conversation. She could see him waving furiously from the table, but she shook her head as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what this is, but I think I could eat it forever and not get tired of it."

"It's pumpkin soufflé," she explained with a giggle as Link held the plate out to her. "I didn't think you liked pumpkin."

"I don't," he replied with a shrug, putting another forkful in his mouth. "I just like the soufflé part."

"Did you already go down the line?"

"No, Pipit gave it to me."

"And you didn't ask then what it was?"

"No?" he replied, cocking his head.

"You worry me," she said, blue eyes sparkling. "Come on, lets get some food. We can sit on the ground over there near the water," she suggested, pointing to an empty spot near the lake.

The boy nodded enthusiastically, hair bobbing as he followed her down the buffet style table. The two load more than they knew they could eat, and she had to convince him not to load his plate with the pumpkin. After a bit of weaving through the crowd, they settled into the cool grass near some of the lanterns.

"I see you went all out this year," she commented, pointing to the red lantern hanging nearby. She saw her friend flush at the compliment. "I had a lot of free time. Like I said, you seemed busy."

"Sorry about that,' she said softly, pushing some of the food around on her plate.

"Don't be," he said sincerely, placing his hand on her shoulder as he spoke.

She smiled at him, searching his eyes for a moment. She understood him as well as anyone, and he her, but she still felt there were things about him that she still couldn't quite pinpoint.

"What?" he asked gently after a moment. His hand flew to his mouth. "Do I have stuff on my teeth?" he asked, his voice a bit lighter as he joked with her, lightening her mood.

"No, silly," she responded. "But I'm pretty sure whatever that is will leave them a nice blue color," she said, pointing at the jelly like substance on his plate.

"It'd be worth it if it was delicious."

Zelda laughed, poking it with her fork. "Well, we'll just have to see."

"Do you even know what it is?" he asked, holding back his smile.

"If you can be adventurous, so can I," she retorted, trying a small forkful. Her face immediately contorted into disgust, and she quickly spat it into her napkin before taking a gulp of water.

"That bad?"

"That bad," she assured him.

"Then I'll take on the next obstacle," he proposed.

The two spent the remainder of the dinner taste testing the things they didn't recognize and finishing with the things they did. For the time, Zelda forgot her nightmares and tired mood, uplifted by the spirit of her friend and the mood of the evening. They laughed, joked, and enjoyed each others company as they had for so many years. Neither noticed the little thing creeping on the evening, a type of affection much stronger than the friendship that had shared through the years. For a time now people had speculated, but it was on that night that many people said that it was officially confirmed. Link and Zelda, inseparable as they were, would be the ones to be together for the long forever. The love that they had wasn't something to be broken by any means.

"The dance part is starting," Zelda commented as the two discarded their plates and helped to clean up some of the trash around the tables. Link obliged her by looking in the direction of the activity, the music emitting from the stage that had been set up. The band was having as much fun as the dancers, it seemed.

"Which is where you children should be," commented the older woman who was covering the food dishes. "Not cleaning. This night only comes once a year. Go ahead, I can take care of this."

"I don't-" Zelda began.

"Did you want to dance?" Link interrupted, shuffling his feet a bit awkwardly. "If it's something you want to do, then-"

"I don't want to dance," she shushed him, placing her finger to his lips. "But I do know what I want to do. At least until we release the lanterns."

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Come on, I'll show you," she said, giving him a mischievous look. He yelped as she once again grabbed his arm, pulling him behind her. She unhooked his lantern from the rope, and after a short walk, she found her own. She unhooked it as well. They struggled in her hand to fly free, but settled them by asking the lady for a piece of the string she was using to synch the garbage bags. She looped it through the hops atop each lantern and held the hoop in her free hand, then proceeded to lead Link back up to the statue. The two scaled their way to the platform, seating themselves comfortably. From their position, they could see the entirety of the island, with the lanterns and the music floating in the breeze. She sighed, leaning against her friend. She felt him tense a moment, but he relaxed just as quickly. "You just wanted to get away then, huh?"

"That obvious?" she laughed. "I love the festival, but I prefer the view at this time over the dancing. Two left feet," she explained.

"You? Never. You've got just the right feet," he rebutted, shaking his head.

"Of course," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You know it as well as I do."

She felt his chest move with his laughter, and she felt a warmth like that she had felt earlier spread to the tips of her fingers. "Actually," she said softly, "I had something to talk to you about."

"What is it?" he asked, his tone serious now. "You're going to tell me what's wrong?"

"It's just, well, I've been so tired lately. I haven't been sleeping well. Sometimes, well, I hear voices," she muttered. "And I feel like there are these things that I should remember, but I don't. I feel them itching in the back of my mind." She bit her lip, directing her attention away from him at the dancing people below. "You must think I'm crazy."

She gasped as she felt him envelope her in a tight hug, his arms warm and strong as he held her to his chest. "You're not crazy. You know I always believe you. There's nothing wrong with you."

She slipped her arms around his waist, responding in kind with her own hug. "I just don't understand them."

"I have nightmares too, you know," he said quietly, pulling back slightly. "And it's always the same." He frowned, his eyes wondering over to the cloud barrier that separated them from whatever was below. She followed his gaze, then turned back to face him. "Do you think they mean anything?"

He met her eyes, and she watched as he opened his mouth, then clamped it shut, hesitant. "I think-" he faltered, "That if you believe they do, then they do, because you mean everything to me."

She felt a ripple of emotion shoot through her, and she opened her mouth to respond in kind only to be interrupted by "They're releasing the lanterns."

The two focused their attention as the area below them around the island began to glow with the light of the loftwing lanterns taking flight on the strong breeze, soaring and dipping in a beautiful show of light. She watched as Link took the loop they had secured under a stone and began to work on the knot that bound them.

"No," she stopped him, reaching out and stilling his hands. He gave her a look of confusion, but she moved his fingers from the string and took hold of her lantern. "Take yours." He obliged without asking questions. "They can stay together. That way, wherever they end up, they'll never be lonely. My lantern will need a friend like you to help her through her journey."

He smiled at her, and the two stood, holding their respective lantern. "May you be blessed," the said in unison before tossing up the lanterns. A strong breeze surged behind them, making their clothes and hair flap furiously, but taking their lantern out into the sky, dipping and soaring in their own spectacle. After a show of flips and tumbles, they two flitted across the clouds and sunk below.


End file.
